Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers veteran cornerback Darius Slay is a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills. Asante Samuel Jr., who was elevated to the active/inactive roster from the practice squad on Saturday, will take his place.
Wide receiver Scotty Miller, quarterback Will Howard (3rd QB), defensive lineman Logan Lee and defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (knee) round out the list of inactives for Sunday’s game.
With Harmon out, Brodric Martin-Rhodes will be active for the first time as a Steeler. Fellow rookie defensive lineman Yahya Black will start in place of Harmon, while Esezi Otomewo will also get snaps. Martin-Rhodes will serve as a depth piece.
Samuel, who spent his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, will be active for the first time this season. After offseason neck surgery, he signed with the Steelers on Nov. 12.
Samuel’s role on Sunday is unknown, but it will give Pittsburgh options with their personnel. Currently, the team’s top corners are Joey Porter Jr, James Pierre and Brandin Echols. Slay was originally the starter opposite Porter, but has lost playing time to Pierre. To say the least, things have not worked out with the veteran Slay.
At the same time, Pierre excels as a special-teamer and stands out this season when called upon at corner. The Steelers could aim to work Samuel into the rotation in passing situations, given his flexibility in zone and man-to-man coverage.
Samuel, whose father, Asante Samuel Sr. played 11 seasons in the NFL, was originally selected 47th overall in 2021. He has recorded six interceptions along with 37 pass defended.
For the Bills, they’ll be without star tight end Dalton Kincaid (hamstring). Buffalo previously ruled out three other starters — left tackle Dion Dawkins (concussion), right tackle Spencer Brown (shoulder) and linebacker Terrel Bernard (elbow). Wide receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle), defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis (shoulder) and cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram round out the list of inactives for Buffalo.
Jobe Morrison contributed reporting for this story.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers CB Darius Slay Leads List of Inactives vs. Bills
